


Sleep When You’re Dead

by shotahime



Series: Hime's Overwatch One-Shots [3]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Blackwatch, Cuddling, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Pre-Fall of Overwatch, TLC, little spoon gabe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-18 09:58:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18247535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shotahime/pseuds/shotahime
Summary: Gabriel is tired and needs some good loving.





	Sleep When You’re Dead

**Author's Note:**

> I finished my tests for the first half of the semester and now I could get back into writing.

Normally, after Gabriel arrived back at base he would go straight back to his quarters after debriefing. That’s what you thought when you knocked on his door only for Athena telling you that he’s still at his office even though he should have been back by now.

As second-in-command in Blackwatch, it was your duty to take some burden off of the commander’s shoulders.

That— and the fact that you have a serious crush on him that is clandestine from Gabriel, but you’re pretty sure the rest of Blackwatch knows.

Jesse just can’t seem to shut his big mouth about it even after you told him to take the laps that took almost a half of a day for him to finish.

Pacing your way to Gabriel’s office, you rapped your closed fist on the door and heard a grunt as an entry answer from him. So he wasn’t entirely in a bad mood if he managed to answer to whoever it was behind the door.

“Hey, boss,” you greeted him as you swung the door open and he lifted his head up from the stack of paperwork scattered on his desk. He looked tired than usual—and he just got back from a mission and should be resting, not cooped up with more work. It’s as if he couldn’t wait until the next day to finish this up.

“Hey—didn’t I tell you not to knock if you’re coming in anyways?” he put down the paperwork and a tired smile formed on his lips as you approached him. Up close, you got a better look on the papers that were sprawled messily on his desk, it’s a wonder how he manages to find what he could.

“Wouldn’t want the higher ups to think I’m being an insubordinate,” you shrugged as you picked up a few papers yourself and scanned through them. You pursed your lips together seeing the signature of the Strike Commander on one paper and when you glanced at the other papers, it looks like it’s some sort of agreement between Overwatch and another party.

“Jack wants me to check these bozos out because he thinks they might be selling off intel illegally—so he’s making me figure out what relation of the things we agreed on and their company,” Gabriel explained as he pinched his nose bridge together, unable to comprehend why was he the one being the one to get handled this shit when Jack could do it by himself.

“What a load of bullshit,” you chirped and took a seat beside him. One of these days, you wanted to give Jack a big slap on the face for tiring out your boss like this. He’s the _Strike Commander_ , for God’s sake—and yet he still can’t take things into his own hands.

“You got that right,” Gabriel agreed with you with a rumbly laugh and ran a hand through his cropped hair. You liked it better when he kept it long, where you could see his soft curls starting to form before he clipped it back military-style. He really didn’t need to do it—he wasn’t going to be in the limelight any time soon.

“Let me help,” you then took a stack of papers and tried to sort through them, helping out your boss out of sympathy. He didn’t say anything, just letting you sorting the signed paperwork chronologically and through importance. Hours passed by, but it still felt like you just came into his office for a matter of minutes. Nonetheless, you smiled to yourself for being there together with Gabriel alone—even if he was completely oblivious with your feelings towards him.

* * *

 

Back at your own quarters after you finished showering and dined it a little food, you were ready to retire to bed so that there could be an early start for tomorrow.

Gabriel had dismissed you hours later as an order much to your dismay. Not because you’ve helped enough but because he was handling some papers that came from the UN and that contains confidential information that even he shouldn’t get his hands on if it wasn’t for Jack trusting him about it. So to spare your life to avoid being questioned by the UN, you reluctantly left.

You were finishing up some reading when there was a knock at your door. You got up from your couch and walked over to the door, not bothering to check who it was as you swung the door open revealing a deprived Gabriel.

“Gabriel, come in!” you stepped aside and let him as he trudged in tiredly before letting himself a seat on your couch. He slumped forward with his elbows resting on both sides of his legs and his head hung low, fatigue almost visible from the structure of his frame.

“You okay? You don’t look so good,” you took a seat next to him and much to your shock, he suddenly turned around and wrapped his arms around you. More specifically, he wrapped his arms under your arms and rested his head against your torso, almost clinging onto you like koala bear.

“Gabe?” you called, not knowing how to respond. He surprised you when he suddenly acting out like this, as if his professionalism shed and leaving him with this sort of touch-starved behaviour.

“I’m so tired,” he muffled against you and you softened when he says it like that. Carefully, you wrapped your hands on his bulky frame, rubbing your hands up and down in a comforting manner on his back as you felt him relaxed against your touch.

“Do you want to talk about it?” you asked and Gabriel suddenly released you from his embrace and you instantly felt a longing to his warmth when he pulled away from you. His eyebrows were furrowed together, the eyebags underneath his eyes were darkening by the day. Leaning back onto the couch, he pressed his eyes closed and exhaled a loud breath before he looked up at the ceiling.

And then he started telling you all the things that’s been bothering him. Jack, the pressure he’s gotten from the higher ups, the budget cuts from Blackwatch, Jesse can’t seem to keep himself out of trouble. And you just listened to him, quipping and nodding at him, letting him know that you were close and listening.

“Sometimes, I just wish I never get involved in the first place,” he then said and I blinked at him for saying something like that.

“But I should have known in the first place—it’s an occupational hazard after all,” he chuckled darkly and shrugged his shoulders.

“Everyone has those days, Gabe,” you rested a hand on his arm and felt him softened under my touch. It’s odd seeing him letting his guard down like this. Normally, he would be so guarded at all times even around the people he knew and trusted—yourself included.

“Yeah, right—sometimes I feel like it’s happening to me every day,” he scoffed, rolling his shoulders back as you heard the pops from cracking his bones together to release any kinks he’s gotten from overworking.

“Don’t say that—it’s going to be okay. Tell you what, after we settle whatever Jack made you do, let’s take Blackwatch on vacation. How’s that sound?” you then offered, and for a moment his interest was piqued at the sound of a vacation. You knew he would like that very much, but he slumped his shoulders a little bit too quickly as if it was too good to be true for having a vacation especially when holding such a high position in Blackwatch.

“I don’t need a vacation—I just need a day where I could sleep, you know? Not worrying about work, attending meetings and all that shit,” he scratched his head. You could tell he was busy listing off the things he’s going to do the moment a new day would dawn for tomorrow and your heart shrunk thinking about this man that you adored so much getting little to no rest.

“I’ll talk to Jack or Ana tomorrow about it, okay? You need some time off, you deserve it,” you then proposed and he looked at you with his eyes wide like saucers, making you smile a bit—never seeing him surprised like this.

“I can’t let you do that—what would they think—“ “They would think nothing of you. You deserve it, Gabe,” you cut him off before he could rebut what you tried to do. It’s risky, asking for some time off from work at such notice but this is Blackwatch—their rules don’t exactly apply to all of you.

“You just finished a mission from halfway across the globe, and they gotten the results they wanted. I don’t think Jack or Ana would have the heart to pressure you with more work after that,” you reasoned with him and he stayed quiet for a while, deep in thought about the consequences.

“You know, I’m glad I made you my second-in-command,” he then turned to me with a smile tugging on his lips, making your heart flutter from the sudden compliment. Biting your tongue from letting out a squeal, you just scoffed as if it was nothing and tried to play it cool.

“Just watching your six, Gabe,” you smiled back at him. Gabriel suddenly stretched back and let out a loud yawn, and it was almost cute seeing him like this. Sleepy and tired, he looked as if he could knock out any moment he saw a bed.

“Want me to get Jesse and get you back to your room?” you offered but that made him stop mid-stretch, recomposing himself and shook his head at you.

“No—no, I don’t want to go back to my room. It makes me distracted with the work that’s already there,” Gabriel pinched his nose together as you realized you just took a step back from giving him the chance to finally relax.

“Can I stay? With you, I mean,”

His proposition shocked you. You almost couldn’t believe your ears that your commanding officer wants to stay the night with you. That sounded wrong, but this was all too innocent to think like that when all he needed was some company.

“O-Of course, Gabe—I’ll let you have the bed,” you stood up to grab some extra blankets and pillows before he grabbed your hand, forcing you to stop in your tracks.

“No—I uh, can _you_ hold me tonight? I forgot what it feels like you know… to have someone,” he looked bashful almost letting you hear about his needs. You were flattered and embarrassed at the same time like you didn’t know how to exactly react to his offer.

“Sure, Gabriel—I’m fine with that,” you shrugged finally, thinking that you might never have this chance ever again. He then stood up and followed you to your bedroom and let himself take a spot on the bed. You closed off all the lights around your quarters first before you slid into bed next to him.

It was unbearably awkward at first, feeling a weight beside your bed for the first time in many years. You were never one for relationships, especially not since everyone would like the military type anymore. But having Gabriel lying next to you like this, you just wanted to dwell into the moment for a while before everything turns back to normal tomorrow.

Suddenly, Gabriel turned to you much to your surprise and before you could ask what was wrong, he wrapped an arm around your torso and tucked his head in the crook of your neck. You were blushing madly feeling his soft breath on your skin, like was this actually happening to you or was Gabriel cuddling with you?

It felt nice, surprisingly—you almost thought that he would be too hot to hold because of his big bulk but he was surprisingly warm in a comforting way and he didn’t feel heavy at all.

Bravely, you slid your arm under him and held him close and you could physically feel him drifting off into deep slumber. Seeing him clinging to you like this, you pitied this man being so touch starved. You wondered if he even had any time to see anybody even before he was involved with Overwatch.

But there weren’t any picture frames on his desk, or even little charms to remind him back of the things back home.

Before you knew it, you were drifting off to sleep as well—a little bit too peaceful and comfy than the other nights sleeping alone.

It looks like you need to pay a good visit to Jack’s office tomorrow.

* * *

 

“Yes?” it was the next day and you were already prepped up for the new day as Gabriel was still in your room, sleeping soundly and even through your loud alarm clock.

The moment Jack’s face appeared from his bedroom door, you swung your closed fist straight at his nose, causing him to be knocked back in surprise as you let yourself in his quarters.

“Stop.”

“Giving.”

“Gabe.”

“A. Hard. Time!” with each sentence, you landed a kick on Jack’s downed body who was hugging himself and still couldn’t comprehend what was actually happening.

You might get a write up after this and a hefty punishment to go along with it.

But for Gabriel, anything was worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> Alternative title: Reader beats up Jack for giving Gabe a hard time


End file.
